Major Taylor Down Under – A couple of our sponsors, RV&E bike shop and the Western New York Wellness Program are hosting a talk on Monday, June 6 at 7 PM at Allendale Columbia school on Major Taylor. Come out and support a great local organization and find out why Major Taylor was the highest paid athlete in the world but reviled in our country because of his color. The attached poster has all the information.
RV&E Bike and Skate Presents: Major Taylor Down Under
Filed under Cycling
Tour de Syracuse Road Race 5/22/11
This weekend the Tour de Syracuse hosted an Omnium located in Tully, NY. I didn’t register for the Criterium, which didn’t allow me to participate in the Time Trial. Shannon and I made it for the road race, which is counting towards our Cat4 upgrade. After looking back I should have registered to compete in the whole series. It was a well planned race and had a lot of excitement surrounding the area.
The race started with a neutral uphill climb for about 3/4 of a mile. This neutral section was if the race started and my legs immediately felt the push to go. Once over the first climb there was an extremely fast down-section heading north. There was a time when my Garmin beeped, which told me that we’ve already completed a 5 mile section and read 10:54, which for me was very fast. We went around some turns and started to climb. The first series of hills weren’t too bad and I was able to keep up front for the majority. Then there was this hill that was quite steep, leveled off and then went up again. This wasn’t as bad as I thought and I was still there. Once I headed around the turn heading south I hit the head wind. One of the Marshals even said as we turned that there’s a pretty nasty headwind (thanks soo much for letting us know). Once I hit the wind I started to drop back and felt as if I was going no where. I regained some momentum on the way back and kept a good pace. I’m thinking that I ended up 11th, which is not as good as I wanted but yet again another learning experience and I feel as if I’m getting stronger. This time I was on my own and there was no support from anyone else in my Cat5, which was ok but not the same.
Shannon did well and completed the course. Each and every ride he’s getting stronger and stronger. It’s only a matter of time that he’ll be right there. This was a pretty challenging course and he was determined to finish. It’s always enjoyable going with a team member. It’s fun to race but it makes a huge difference when there are people around you who enjoy the same sport and are on your team.
On a side note – I really enjoy seeing area teams and it seems comforting yet challenging to make me want to push even harder. I saw a lot of MVP/G2 riders while heading into that nasty headwind and they kept pushing. The GVCC does well in the area of providing their members with experience, knowledge along with motivation to make them successful in racing situations. Here’s the elevation from the day -
Check out some pics in the photos section from the race-
Tour de Syracuse Road Race Results
Filed under Cycling
Constellation Brands Bristol Mountain Road Race 5/7/11
Today I went out solo to race the Constellation Brands Bristol Mountain Road Race. It was hosted at Bristol Mountain and was only an hour away from home – NICE!!! I arrived quite early so I can drive the course before the start of my race. My first thought was WOW – this is going to be challenging and maybe I shouldn’t have driven it. I came up with a game plan in my head and I was hoping to see some decent results. The event was well planned, the marshals and volunteers were great!
At the beginning of each race I seem to get nervous but when I get on the bike the nerves seem to go away. At this point I’m just anxious to get started. The group rolled out for 34 miles and I think we had around 33 in our category. I stayed within the first 1/3 of the group for the majority of the first part until Egypt Road. For some reason I thought that I would pass the group and sprint up the hill – so I did so. I got up halfway, looked up and noticed that it keeps going. (On a side note – the Pro 1/2 went off 40 minutes before us and as I got halfway up I see Brendan Housler (Mt. Borah) pass us and climb this thing like it was flat. It was very amazing to see someone with his power climb this area – it was pretty awesome to see. Especially since he’s having another dominating year – yeah he won this race too. Pro teams – pick this one up!) This was where I made my mistake. Luckily, Dan Schroen (CNBank) came up behind me, tapped me and said lets keep going. So again Dan and I teamed up for another race and made the best of the rest of this climb. Dan, myself along with another cyclist Eric (Nice Tri) teamed up for the remainder of the race. We took turns and used the knowledge that the GVCC and Mike Minerva gave us during one of the training rides. Once the climbs were done there was a fast decent. At one point my bike reached 55 mph. I never looked down and just kept my eyes on the road – I’ve never gone that fast before. Dan, Eric and I made it down that hill a second time and then it started to pour freezing rain. The roads were soaked, my glasses fogged but we kept working together and soon enough it stopped and we were headed towards the finish. This was a great part to the race – we were really focused and utilized what we had to complete this race. It was another learning experience and it was great to team up with Dan again.
Overall, I had a blast and I’m glad that I made it out. I’m really not sure how I placed(15th) because I was cold and just ended up leaving. Hopefully it’ll be somewhat respectable. Nice job to the hosts NalgeneR3- great local event!!
Filed under Cycling
Hollenbeck’s Spring Classic Road Race 5/1/11
Today members of our Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling team drove to Virgil, NY for the Hollenbeck’s Spring Classic Road Race. Members who attended this race included Shannon Case, Kevin Hill and myself. The race started at the Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill with the course outlining the Kennedy State Forest. It was a well planned and organized event with great volunteers and marshals. It is definitely a race that I’ll attend next year, especially with the fact of ending the race by handing out delicious cookies.
Our cat 4/5 registered 62 members and was the largest cat getting ready to race. Our team started about 1/3 back from the front and we proceeded to roll out. The course was a set of challenging rolling hills along with a few big climbs which resulted with fast descents. Our group didn’t start out sprinting or really pushing until the first climb. I felt good and was able to keep up for the majority until the top end that flatted out. I was caught in between the lead group and then a second group that sprung. Luckily another GVCC cyclist Dan Schroen (Canandaigua National Bank) came flying up from behind and yelled out “hold on” and luckily I was able to latch onto this group. I was relieved to see him and this seemed to boost my confidence a little. There’s something about riding with familiar faces and working with them to get through the course. Dan and I had a group of 5 which dwindled down to 4, then leaving three of us to work together. Dan is a very strong rider and we worked well together – I really enjoyed this aspect of the race. I ended teaming up with another rider and we took turns pulling for each other until the last turn of the race. My goal was to complete this course in 1:01:00 which is pushing it for my experience and level. I ended up finishing around 1:03:00 and I was extremely happy. I do wish that I could have held onto the main group but again it’s another learning experience – this tells me that I need to train harder and longer. The winner ended up with a time around 0:59:00. The course ended with a climb to the finish, which I enjoyed a lot but was a challenging way to finish.
My teammates did extremely well and finished the challenging course. This was Kevin’s first race of the year and did a great job finishing the race and defeating those challenging climbs. Shannon also completed the race and never gave up! This was the first race that he completed and I am proud of him for finishing successfully. It’s a sport that has a lot of ups and downs along with a lot of learning experiences and opportunities but it only matters when you are having fun and enjoying the time with those who are your teammates and today was a perfect example. It was a great day filled with a road trip and road race with great QCP teammates along with my wonderful wife and biggest fan. It’s the best when I get to see her at the finish!!!! Pics from the race are posted in the photos section along with team Face Book page.
Filed under Cycling
LIVESTRONG Philly Challenge
The LIVESTRONG Philly Challenge is right around the corner and is going to occur the weekend of August 20th. August 20th is also the same day my wife and I are going to celebrate our one year anniversary and we are excited to spend our day with individuals who have been affected with the horrible disease. We are determined and is our to raise a good amount to support a great cause of finding a cure for cancer. Everyone has experienced someone who has been affected and what a better way than to support them by donating a few dollars to the LIVESTRONG foundation. Please consider by following the links provided below:
Filed under Cycling
Hollenbeck’s Spring Classic Road Race
Up next on the racing schedule (5/1/11) is the Hollenbeck’s Spring Classic Road Race located in Virgil, NY. It’s a 22 mile loop starting at the Hollenbeck’s Cider Mill circling the Kennedy State Forest. The race includes two major climbs with 1,200 feet of climbing. The category that I’m racing in is the 4/5 and is set to start at 10:15 a.m.. Other team members from our Quality Care Pharmacies cycling team are going and include Shannon Case along with Kevin Hill. Others may sign up later this week. Hopefully the rain is going to stop and we’ll have some nice weather for a popular race.
Filed under Cycling
Tour of the Battenkill…FINISHED
Tour of the Battenkill – what else can I say other than – WOW!!! This is my third official road race and I came out of this more excited than ever. It all started back in October when our team was beginning to form and I was looking around for races that might be of interest. Of course Facebook and Twitter helped with my search because there were numerous cyclists talking about this race called Battenkill. I was intrigued because it seemed like a huge event but also nervous because it was called Battenkill. As the day of the registration arrived I hesitated about entering this race. I’m new to the sport and it seems like only cyclists who are really experienced entered this race. Months went by and I was training on the trainer along with riding outside for some distance miles. I felt really good and one morning I sent a text to Shannon Case saying that I we should register for the Tour of the Battenkill. Of course his first response was YES!!! He didn’t realize that we missed the registration opportunity. We both registered to be on the wait list and in the month of February I was able to enter the Cat 5 under 35. Shannon had to wait for a couple of months and after numerous emails he was able to register the week before the race. YES… we are going to race!!!
This Tour of the Battenkill was nothing that I have ever experienced. It was a total of 64 miles with cyclists entered from all over. The bikes were simply amazing! The roads ranged from dirt to gravel to paved and had numerous climbs. My Garmin read a total elevation of 4,567ft. My Specialized SL3 handled great and I was sure happy to have that bike for this race. Shannon and I were also lucky enough to be in the same group, so the nerves were at ease for a moment. We’ve heard a lot of stories about this race and how it’s one of the toughest out there. Of course the horror crash stories also hinder in the back our your mind. I was definitely anxious leading up to this huge event! Another one of our teammates Dwight Roth also headed out to the race and gave us some tips. Listening to the experienced always helps, especially from our local GVCC cyclists. This has to be one of the best groups out there!
My race number was 5234 and is going to be great memorabilia . As the race started Shannon and I went right to the front. We had great position and lead out for the Tour of the Battenkill. As the race progressed I was able to keep up with the group and I really felt strong. I was able to keep up with the group, their pace and the course for the majority of the race. Hill after hill after hill and pace eventually got to me and I fell back. I wasn’t disappointed because I did better than I have ever expected. I kept a good pace and ended up finishing 17th. I was hoping for a 10 finish but after experiencing that course I was pleased with what I accomplished. Now that I have that race under my belt I am definitely planning on attending the Tour of the Battenkill next year making it my focus to be in the top 5.
Shannon also put forth great effort for such a difficult race. He was able to ride the majority of the course and gave it his all! I’m proud of him for attempting this race along with being a great and supportive teammate. It would have been extremely difficult to head out there to compete in this race on my own. I’m hoping that there will be a race where we can get all 5 of us out there to race the same event.
Being only the third race that I have entered I really don’t know how they are planned and organized. In my mind, The Tour of the Battenkill was top notch. I can’t say enough about the volunteers, officers, fire departments along with medical ambulances. They were phenomenal!!! The course was absolutely beautiful, the land and scenery was relaxing and the farms were incredible. The chocolate milk was amazing!!! This area really accepted cyclists and I saw nothing but absolute generosity!!! The organization of this event was extremely impressive and ran extremely smooth. I would like to thank this event for planning a safe, structured yet exciting atmosphere!!
Of course I would like to thank my magnificent wife for all of her support and for taking this trip with us. It’s nice to have someone out there at the finish to look forward seeing. There were times when I pushed harder just knowing that she was there at the finish!!! It was a great moment crossing the finish line knowing that she was watching and cheering me.
Overall, the Tour of the Battenkill is a race that everyone must try!! Some pics from the weekend will be in the photos section.
Results of The Tour of the Battenkill
Filed under Cycling
Race season begins for the Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling Team
The race season began today for the Quality Care Cycling team two hours from home in Corning, NY. The race was called the Hornby Hills Kermis, which involved paved, gravel and mud! It was a total of three laps, 7.68 miles or 23+ miles. Shannon, Ryan (which raced for our Cycling for Cancer team) and I found this course challenging yet very self-gratifying. I was really pleased with both of my partners for wanting to race this with me and for putting forth great efforts. My biggest supporter was also with us (My Wife aka: spitfire aka: paparazzi) and I thank her for being so patient and calm with me – I was a little nervous before the race.
We finally rode off around 8:50am in some very cold but sunny weather. As the morning progressed the temperature warmed up and ended up being a great day for racing. I felt good all throughout this race and would have placed around 5th-7th except for the fact that another strong GVCC member (Dan Schroen – CNB Cycling Team) and I made a wrong turn and rode a few miles off course. This occured during our second lap right before the WALL – getting off track was very frustrating because the marshal left post and there were no signs telling us to make the turn. I guess we should have paid more attention the first time but I was expecting to see a marshal there since we saw one there the first time. Another strong GVCC rider William Auten was right behind us, made the correct turn and ended up placing 6th – great strong ride! It was fun being around those two guys because they do great during the GVCC races and for this race I was able to keep with them. I ended up 11th but again I learned a ton and enjoyed every minute of it. I do wish that I stayed on course to see what I would have actually done.
One part of the course that I enjoyed a ton was the WALL. It was a steeeeep hill that was a great climb. I really enjoy riding up those type of hills because they are so challenging and it is such an accomplishment when I complete it. After completing the three laps I was pretty frustrated with the situation of getting lost and not doing as well as I wanted. Looking back at it now I’m pretty pleased with my accomplishment and I can only get better. My new bike ended up getting really muddy and dirty but was cleaned thoroughly and immediately 
. The T.SL3 was a great ride and was well worth the purchase. Next weekend Dwight, Shannon along with myself are going to race the Tour of the Battenkill – should be exciting and seems like a great experience. Here are some pics from the day:
Hornby Hills Kermis Road Race April 2nd, 2011
The GVCC posted a link to a race in the Corning NY area that would be a good warm-up for the Battenkill race called Hornby Hills Kermis. This race is presented by the Corning/Notubes Race Team and has similar characteristics to the Battenkill race, which is the following weekend. Luckily Sarah and I don’t have any other plans so I signed up and I’m going to give it a try. It’s a total of 27 miles, which is much shorter than the Battenkill race of 64 miles.
Here’s the course description taken from the race website:
Depending on road conditions, the course loop will change and be between 7.5 and 9.5 miles per loop. Final course decision will be made on the Friday before the race and posted on the website. Highlights include dirt and gravel sections, a quarter mile “wall” of between 18 and 22 percent, and a long gradual climb to the finish. The course is rolling and a 11-25 or 12-25 cassette and 25mm tires are strongly recommended. A great prep race for the Tour of the Battenkill the following weekend!
I’ve been training hard and I’ve been putting in some good mileage. I was able to get outside a couple of times during the past two weeks and spent the rest of the time on the trainer. I’m really hoping that it gets nice out real soon so I’ll be able to get in more much needed outdoor miles. The race season is right around the corner and I’m getting excited to experience these events. Some members of the Quality Care Pharmacies Cycling team are signed up for exciting races – lookout for upcoming news pertaining to the team and the season. Follow us on Facebook and click ‘like’.
Filed under Cycling
Specialized Tarmac SL3 Durace 2011 – RVE Bike and Skate
Tonight was the night that I was finally able to pick up my new ride for the 2011 race year. Thanks to two of our sponsors my dream bike became reality and I would like to thank Doug at RVE Bike and Skate along with Specialized. Again, without our sponsors our season of racing would not be as complete as its been as of now. I began looking for a new bike in the months of August/September and really focused my attention on a new bike when we became sponsored. My wonderful wife really supported me with this task and was a huge part of making it happen and making the decision. It’s great having someone being so supportive and confident in my abilities and I’m very thankful for her!!
I currently ride a 2007 Cannondale Caad8 with 105 components. It’s an aluminum frame and has been a fantastic bike. I’ve logged every mile that I have ridden on that bike and plan to do the same with my new Specialized. My new bike I purchased from RVE Bike and Skate, which is located in Fairport, NY. I first put in my order for this particular bike back in November with Doug, who is the owner. Doug was very knowledgeable along with being supportive of purchasing the right bike for what I was going to do… which was race! Of course I had a ton of questions and changed my mind quite a few times. I really researched my decision and finally decided on the 2011 Specialized Tarmac SL3 frame with Durace components. I couldn’t have done it without Doug at RVE Bike and Skate and Specialized and by riding all over our area and surrounding areas our team will advertise their business by having their company logos on our team kits. Mobile billboard advertising!!! I can’t wait to get out on my new specialized along with our new kits. Winter riding has been an adventure but I’m very eager to ride in the sun and warmth.
Tonight Doug fit my bike according to my body’s dimensions along with riding style. He spent about an hour aligning my cleats with my pedals. He also adjusted my seat-post, seat along with adjusting the stem of the bike, which he had to shorten. We also ended up weighing the bike, which had the pedals attached and it weighed 15.13 pounds. Its amazing how something could be so light yet dynamically effective. Now it’s up to learning the sport of racing along with my legs… train, train, TRAIN and LISTEN!!! Again, thanks to Doug at RVE Bike and Skate along with Specialized. A HUGE thanks to my wonderful wife for being so supportive and I love her TONS!!! Here are some pics of my new ride:
